


Don't Forget

by yourmothersmeatloaf



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Kinda, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Men Crying, Reflection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:06:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26807065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourmothersmeatloaf/pseuds/yourmothersmeatloaf
Summary: Edward reflects on his pocket watch and Roy for once has nothing to say.ya know when inspiration hits or whatever
Relationships: Edward Elric/Roy Mustang
Comments: 2
Kudos: 48





	Don't Forget

**Author's Note:**

> literally inspired by a facebook meme about oct third it isnt great but here it is!

Roy rolled over in bed and peeked at Edward. He was still sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at his hands.

“Ed?” Roy asked as he sat up.

He noticed Ed’s hand clutch something as he got closer, seemingly unaware he was still awake.

“Yeah?” He asked.

“Is...everything alright?” Roy hesitated.

Clearly everything was not alright. Roy was always last to go to sleep, now that Ed had a more stable job. He would not be up at this late hour if something was not eating away at him.

“Yeah,” Ed said.

Roy hummed lowly at that. Edward did not have the most...eloquent vocabulary but he knew it certainly contained at least two words, which was one more than he seemed capable of at the moment. He wasn’t sure how to coax information out of him, as in his normal life he spent a lot of time trying to get the young blond to shut his mouth rather than open it.

“What’s in your hand?” Roy asked.

“Don’t worry about it,” Edward said.

Roy didn’t even hum that time. It was very unlike him to be so secretive and closed off. And withdrawn. Given Edward’s natural clingy if almost nomadic way of living, it was a hard adjustment to sudden withdrawal. He was tempted to draw on the powers of his inner politician but decided that was best left at work. Edward would see right through it and it would only further the issue.

“May I hug you?” Roy asked, thinking it best to be as transparent as possible.

“Mm,” Edward grunted quietly.

Roy slid closer, awkwardly getting caught up in the sheets. He wrapped his arms around Edward’s shoulders, resting his forehead on the nape of his neck. He felt Edward lean his head back against his. Then, Edward let out a slow sigh.

“I would ask if you want to talk about it, but I feel the answer is a resounding ‘no’,” Roy said, feeling that saying anything was better than nothing.

This time Edward said nothing at all. He did, however, move his hand up to cover Roy’s where they lay over his clavicle.  
“Okay,” he said, grasping Roy’s hands tightly. “I’ll tell you.”

Roy lifted his head from Edward’s neck at that. He sat up fully when Edward shifted to face him more directly. Then the younger of the two handed Roy what he’d been clasping tightly and out of sight until then.

Roy furrowed his brow as the dim yellow of the street lamp caressed the polished surface of Edward’s silver pocket watch. Edward wasn’t a state alchemist anymore. He worked at CentralU in the alchemy department, but that was outside of military control. His only connection to the military was his friends, mainly Roy himself, and many years had passed since the promised day. The fact that he still had the watch at all was confusing to him.

“I can’t say I understand,” Roy said.

“Well, take it then,” Ed said impatiently.

Roy raised his eyebrows, surprised at Edward’s sudden will to speak, but took the watch from him nonetheless. After quickly reexamining the outside, he pressed the button on the top to open the hatch, revealing its face. It was rather regular, if he were being honest. But then, the lid. The lid had an engraving in it, seemingly done manually rather than with alchemy.

‘DON’T FORGET 3.OCT.10’

“Oh,” Roy breathed. “I see.”

“Yeah, well, congratulations,” Ed took the watch back and closed it. “Grumman let me keep it when I resigned. Something about sentimentality.”

Roy examined Edward who in turn examined the watch. He felt Ed would continue speaking without prompting so he kept his mouth shut.

“You probably know, but that was when we burned our house down. So, we knew there was no turning back.”

“I remember,” Roy agreed.

“Well, what you don’t know is when I came back from the ruins of Xerxes, you know, your little field trip of manipulation,” Ed looked at him but without anger. “I was walking by the cemetery and noticed Hohenheim at my mother’s grave. I was so pissed. I wanted to knock him out. Who was he to come back way too many years late? Ya know?”

When Roy looked at Edward he was astounded to see a wounded child looking back at him. He wasn’t sure what to say.

“Anyways, he asked me, ‘What possessed you to burn my house down?’ and that made everything so much worse. Then he told me I was running away from my problems, from my memories. So I confronted them. As, again I’m sure you recall, burying up that...thing.

“Uncovering the fact that human transmutation as we knew it was not possible. And it was bizarre because in a way...it set me free. From so much. But then...On these days… being October third, it is always a hard time. It brings up every memory. All of them. Without discrimination or exceptions.

"The faces and the voices and the times spent on trains and in offices and on sofas and in battle. The people we lost and the people that remain and the people who remain but will never feel whole again. 

“And it gets me thinking even more. About how better off we are for that mistake to have happened. For my father to leave us and what’s more,” Edward met Roy’s eyes, tears building up, “That if my mother hadn’t died when she did...what would this country be?”

Roy looked into the face of Edward’s inner child. He could tell those were thoughts that had never before seen the light of day. He wasn’t sure what to say. He wasn’t sure if he should have said anything at all.

So, when the tears began falling down Edward’s face, all Roy could do was cry with him. He pulled the boy close and they shared in their tears. They stayed quiet and heard the silence of all the ones they loved and lost. Then when Edward had enough time, he began to speak once again.

“Then I think about all the good that’s here now. I think about you and the life we’ve built. I think about how I’ll never have to run again. Or burn down our home, because nothing bad can happen as long as you’re with me. You were the one to put a fire under my ass all those years ago in Granny’s house. And you still do now that we’re here. You remind me that there is always something ahead of me.”

He rested his forehead against Roy’s, tears slipping silently between their skin. One of Roy’s hands ran down Ed’s back and the other lay against the back of his neck. He pulled Edward closer until he felt contented they were as close as they could be to being one person.

“Thank you,” they whispered in perfect unison.

Edward opened his eyes surprised. Immediately gold melted into slate grey, finding Roy had already been staring.

“Why?” Edward asked.

Roy just shook his head lightly, as to not disturb their closeness. His eyes slid shut again. He felt it required no explanation. It just was.

As an alchemist, your allegiance is to fact. There were many known facts regarded by the great majority of alchemists, but there was the big one.

To obtain something, something of equal value must be lost.

Then, after all they’d been through, Roy had to live by another fundamental truth.

Some things just are.

Nothing could make him feel more complete than the love Edward gave him. He could never understand what he did to deserve him. He chose long ago not to question it, as some things just are. And when things are good, you don’t have to understand. Sometimes it is just enough to be where you are and let the good happen.

And Edward is good.

He gently took the pocket watch from Edward’s grasp and placed it on the bedside table. He then pulled Edward down into the bed and wrapped him in blankets. Roy held him there until the tears dried up and his breathing became shallow and even.

Roy looked down at Edward’s sleeping figure. His face was pressed into the side of Roy’s chest and he allowed himself to feel immense pride and joy at the sight. He ran his fingers through the blond hair, slowly removing the elastic from it. He then planted a delicate kiss to his forehead.

“I love you.”

The street lamps still gently illuminated their room. This time the warm yellow light settled over the high points of Edward’s face, casting him in an ethereal glow.

There, Roy watched him until his eyes wouldn’t stay open anymore. He slipped comfortably into slumber in the warm embrace of trust and openness. He couldn’t have asked for anything more.


End file.
